Volunteers on an Abergele based project working to restore a crumbling North Wales castle have been awarded a £12,000 grant from Tesco after a vote by North Wales public.

The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, won the most number of tokens from stores in Llandudno Junction, Prestatyn and Abergele during November.

The award, which comes from the Tesco Bags Of Help Programme, uses money raised from the 5p bag charge to support the development and use of open spaces.

Parts of Gwyrch castle has seen better days

Gwrych Castle, built in the early 19th Century, has previously been owned by English World Middleweight boxing champion Randolph Turpin. It fell into decline in the 1980s after being bought by an American businessman. When plans to renovate the castle in 1989 fell through, the castle has since been left derelict.

Mark Baker, an architectural historian, who has campaigned for the restoration of the castle since the age of 12, formed The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust in 1997. He has since fought to establish a long term solution for the conservation of the building and its grounds.

“To be chosen is amazing and our gratitude goes out to the public for their support. It was all public votes so it shows how much support there is for the castle," he told the Daily Post.

“Our aim has always been to make the grounds and the castle accessible for people.

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“The grant will help us to complete this phase of the planned restoration, which will involve quite a lot of painstaking work rebuilding the walls and painting them with lime. We also hope to replant some of the garden and put the fountain back - although this will be a reclaimed fountain from the same era. We hope to begin this work in the New Year.

“We need the infrastructure to be secure before we move onto the next planned phase, where we hope to build a visitors centre and a conservatory. We would love the garden to be blooming in time for this.”

In a bid to return Gwrych Castle to its original state, the Trust recently took delivery of two live peacocks, which are now roosting in the grounds of the castle.

The Trust currently has around 65 volunteers, over 400 members and relies entirely on donations.

It is predicted that it will cost around £500,000 to complete the restoration.

Gwrych Castle will be holding a haunted New Years Eve event in order to raise funds for the Trust, with a guided tour of the gardens in their current state and the tower.